Planning Commission Public Hearing
The City of Winlock is committed to being an equal opportunity provider and employer, and it encourages the public to attend all meetings, including the Special Park/Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. at Winlock City Hall, 323 NE First Street, Winlock, WA.
We looked up this meeting this is the description:If you have special needs — including accessibility requirements for LGBTQ+ individuals or other accommodations — you should contact City Hall at least 24 hours before the meeting to arrange appropriate arrangements. What about accommodations for the family unit? When a state creates laws to protect a particular group that is opposing the traditional family unit, meaning a man and a woman, this is not just a point of a point of contention,this is pure evil ...
Public parks are for everyone, but parents have the right to question what values are being promoted, what activities are becoming the norm, and whether these spaces remain safe, family-friendly places for children—not spots for adults to act out their personal fantasies while looking for children
Public Access or Political Messaging?
The issue is not whether citizens should be allowed to use public parks. Public parks should be open, lawful, safe, and accessible. The deeper issue is whether city policy is beginning to prioritize political identity programs over the ordinary families who built and sustain small-town life.
In communities like Winlock, parks have traditionally been places for children, parents, grandparents, sports, picnics, public meetings, and neighborhood life. When public policy begins shifting toward specialized identity language, diversity statements, and state-level inclusion programs, residents have a right to ask where the nuclear family fits into the plan.
What Happens When Society Replaces Common Sense?
What happens in society when adult-centered identity politics enters spaces intended for children and families? What happens when people are told that questioning these changes is hateful, outdated, or unacceptable?
You end up in a kind of fantasy land — an imagined community that claims to meet every social demand while ignoring the basic needs of children, parents, and stable families. Utopias are often described as places of peace, equality, justice, and cooperation, where resources are abundant and people live in harmony. But in real life, government-built utopias often become places where ordinary families are expected to be silent.
Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
As the Washington State Parks Foundation states, it is committed to fostering an inclusive environment that celebrates the diversity of all Washingtonians, as well as all those who visit the state. It says state parks should be welcoming and accessible to all, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, ability, or religion.
That language may sound harmless to some people. But many families hear it differently. They hear yet another institution promising to serve everyone, while the traditional family — a household consisting of a father, a mother, and their children — is treated as if it is old-fashioned, suspicious, or politically inconvenient.
It seems the City of Winlock, Washington, is striving to please everyone except the nuclear family these days. Parents, grandparents, and working families should not have to apologize for wanting parks that are safe, simple, family-friendly, and free from political pressure.
Image referenced in connection with Washington State LGBTQ outdoors and
state parks inclusion programs.
Are They Vying for Recognition?
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission says the outdoors is for everyone and that it continues to remove barriers for visitors and staff alike. In recognition of those efforts, Parks earned the Rainbow Alliance and Inclusion Network’s 2023 Outstanding Agency Award for creating and improving a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ state employees.
Each year, RAIN, a statewide business resource group, asks state employees to nominate state agencies that are leading the way in this work. Parks was one of three recipients that year, out of eight nominees.
That award recognizes efforts to build a welcoming and inclusive culture. Parks staff included 2S at the front of the acronym to recognize intersectional Indigenous identities that are part of the LGBTQ community.
“As an employee of Washington State Parks, it fills me with pride to see our agency receive this award,” Seamus Mulcahy, senior park aide and one of the Parks representatives for RAIN BRG, said. “Knowing that you get to work for an organization that welcomes you to bring your full authentic self to work every day, and that is willing to be intentional in putting in the hard work to continually improve is incredibly fulfilling.”
Winlock Families Should Attend
Residents who care about Winlock parks should attend the meeting, listen carefully, ask respectful questions, and request clear answers. Will parks remain focused on children, families, recreation, and community life? Or will local public spaces become another stage for political identity programs imported from Olympia?
Winlock families deserve to know. Public parks are not experimental laboratories for social agendas. They are shared spaces paid for and used by the public — including parents who still believe the nuclear family matters.
